new website and blog

From now on, I will be posting primarily on my new website for my dog boarding and dog training business in Placerville www.sierra-dogs.com.

In my new business location, I will take clients from all of El Dorado County and the greater Sacramento area (including El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, Rancho Cordova, etc.), and will also retain some clients and business in San Francisco.

I will be focusing on dog training and boarding, and you can find lots of details about my services at www.sierra-dogs.com/services.htm. Boarding will be in my home on a nearly 3 acre property nestled among the trees in Placerville. It's only 5 minutes off the highway (for those of you heading up to Tahoe and wanting to drop off your dog), but it feels like it's away from everything. You can find pictures at www.sierra-dogs.com/photos.htm

I will maintain my SF DogZone website and photo albums, but the Sierra Dogs site will be updated much more frequently.

The Big Move

Well, folks, I made the big move from San Francisco up to Placerville, which is 2 hours away, located in the lower Sierra Foothills east of Sacramento. You can see a map here.

While I will no longer do dog-walking, I will continue to board dogs, and also focus more on the training side of my business.

It was really tough to leave so many great friends and clients, but I will visit San Francisco frequently for both work and play, so you may still run into me and Luna at one of our favorite dog parks.

I'm in the process of buying some property up here, hopefully with a couple of acres for the dogs to romp in. Stay tuned for updates!

Farewell Party

Yesterday, which was my last day in San Francisco, we had a farewell party at Upper Douglass Dog Park. Many of my friends and clients -- both 2-legged and 4-legged -- came to hang out with Luna and me and enjoy the gorgeous weather. I could not have asked for a better send-off!

My special thanks go out to Sue for getting the cake and the drinks, helping to set up, and just generally being very supportive and helpful. And thanks to Denise for taking great pictures and posting them in a spotlight on the Friends of Upper Douglass Dog Park (FUDDP) website. (www.fuddp.org)

Olive

I was lucky enough to snag Olive, the golden retriever puppy/adolescent, as a new boarding client. What a doll! She played like crazy the entire time she stayed here, with my dog Luna and anyone else who would play with her. She has excellent dog-dog manners for one so young, which ensures that she has lots of playmates happy to see her. My dog Luna absolutely loved her, and was a little depressed after Olive left, and I think I was too.


Like most playful puppies, Olive can contort herself in seemingly impossible ways during play. I tried to get a few pictures of her in these crazy positions. It's such fun to watch her play.








For more pictures of Olive, visit the photo page on my website.

Miss Stella the pug

I recently met Miss Stella the Pug (--that's what I call her, but her name is really just Stella), and she came to stay with me. She is scrumptious. There is no other way to put it. She is such a sweet little girl that I just want to scoop her up every time I look at her. She has this tiny, cute little head, and sometimes her tongue is sticking out of her mouth just the tiniest bit, which makes me laugh.

She often has a slightly worried looking expression, but then she'll follow it up with a relaxed, happy smile if you talk to her or pet her.

She is an East Coast transplant who seems to be settling in quite well here, thanks to having a sweet nature, and loving owners who take good care of her. She is a very welcome addition to the area.

Pug love

I know I say this all the time, but I'm in love. Now, I love pugs to begin with, but I just boarded one named Gutterball who has completely captivated me. He is so incredibly good-natured and playful, and just loves to clown around. He also loves to snuggle up, of course.

I especially enjoyed the fact that he and my dog Luna played so much together. What a joy (and a comedy) to watch!






At the dogpark, he charmed people and dogs alike, and played with nearly everyone. And aside from splashing in the waterbowl, which I must admit was pretty cute, he had perfect manners with everyone.

Thanks for a great couple of days, Gutterball! You are welcome back any time at all.

Goodbye Tucker

In loving memory of Tucker, aka Tucker Man. He started off life abandoned and left to die in a garbage can. He was discovered, adopted, raised, and loved by Deborah, and they adored each other the whole of his long life. He passed away in her arms, at home, the way it should be when the sad day comes. He will be missed.

Double Trouble

Venus and Finley, two gorgeous Vizslas from the same household, recently stayed with me. Despite the title of this post, they weren't trouble -- just high energy fun.




They each have really distinct personalities:



Finley is the athlete, focused on the ball. He tries to act serious, although he is quite playful.







Venus is more likely to be flirting with and charming the nearest person. She clowns around a lot and does her best to make everyone smile and pet her.


After getting to know Darda, Stella, and other Vizslas in the neighborhood, and now Venus and Finley, I've become a real fan of the breed. They aren't for everyone, of course -- they are high energy dogs originally bred for hunting, and they need LOTS of exercise. They also tend to be sensitive or high-strung if not well socialized from a very early age-- but they are excellent cuddlers, sweet and loving, and are a lot of fun to have around. Whatever breed you might be interested in, it's always a good idea to do your homework before adopting: research breed characteristics, and talk to people who own the same type of dog.


For more pictures of Venus and Finley, please visit the photo page of my website.

Dexter On Board

Meet Dexter, the newest addition to my dog playgroups. He is tiny terrier mix of some kind, but has a huge personality, and will charm the socks off of any person he meets.

Dexter was a rescue animal available through the Milo Foundation, an animal rescue organization in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and his new family brought him home only a few weeks ago. Due to their excellent preparation, Milo is taking all the changes in his life in stride. He is fairly well-socialized with people and is getting over any minor fears he started off with.


Training can play an important role in successfully welcoming a new pet into your household. There are many excellent positive reinforcement based training classes in San Francisco. Dexter's family has chosen a training class at the San Francisco SPCA (see info on their training classes here)


Dexter is still a little nervous on occasion at the dog park, but seems to be adjusting quickly, and has even made a few friends, like Thelma, who is another Milo dog.

One of my favorite things about Dexter is his prancing or strutting walk -- it's beautiful and funny at the same time, and it definitely shows off his personality. For more photos of Dexter, click here.

Stella is back!

One of my clients, Stella, returned from an extended stay out of state, and today was her first day back with the group. So she is my "featured pet" for this week. I missed her while she was gone!

Recently, we discovered that Stella is fascinated by a dog toy called the Hol-ee Roller (pictured at right), made by JW Pet Company and sold at most pet stores. They make some other cool dog toys like Good Cuz and Bad Cuz, and the Chompion. (I'll write a separate blog entry soon on the best dog toys.)

Anyway, just put an item like a squeaky ball or other desirable object inside it, and then watch dogs try to figure out how to remove it; it's challenging and fun for them.






You can find more photos of pretty Stella by going to the photo page on my website.

Update on Chaca

Many people have been kind enough to ask for an update on Chaca's story. (Original post can be found here.) Well, she's doing great and is ready for adoption!

Over the last few weeks, she has been staying with Larry Johnson, a San Francisco Animal Care & Control Officer and private dog trainer, and according to him, she is "a great little dog." His assessment is that she would make a wonderful pet for someone firm, loving, and experienced with dogs (ideally experienced with border collies in particular).

Earlier today, I took Chaca, along with my own dog Luna, and one of their doggie friends, Thelma, up to a small ranch property up in the Glen Ellen area. My purpose was to assess Chaca's progress, to introduce her to some people who wish to help search for a new owner for her, and of course to have a fun day romping in the countryside.

All three dogs ran, chased sticks, chewed pine cones, tried to roll in wild turkey poop (--yuck!), splashed in water troughs and ponds, and sniffed to their heart's content.


They had to wait outside on the porch while the two-legged folks ate a quick lunch, but they kept a close eye on us.
It would have been a perfect day, if not for the shadow cast by the uncertainty of Chaca's fate/future. She can only stay with Larry until approximately February 1st. I will foster her for as long as I can after that date, but also have financial and other constraints. So we urgently need to find Chaca a suitable and happy home.

Please share Chaca's story with anyone who might be interested in sponsoring or adopting her. I am happy to answer any questions. This little freckle-faced dog started off life with the deck stacked against her, and in spite of it all, she is smart, healthy and loving. She deserves a happy ending.

Air travel with pets

Several of my clients have asked my opinion about traveling by plane with a dog or other pet. So here are my thoughts, and some links that may help you decide whether or not to bring your pet on your next vacation.

My personal opinion is that you should avoid taking your pet on an airplane, especially if you are unable to take it with you in the cabin. It's stressful to them, and can be physically dangerous. Airlines treat pets like luggage. I don't know about you, but I can get over lost or damaged luggage, but not a lost or injured/killed pet. And most cargo compartments are not temperature controlled, are extremely noisy, and don't necessarily provide enough oxygen to your animal. They are not designed to transport live animals.

In the spirit of full disclosure, part of my business is taking care of animals while their owners are away, so I have a vested interest in people NOT taking their pets. Therefore, below are some sources for unbiased information.

If you do decide to fly with your pet, don't forget to talk to your vet first, and read the information in the links below to try to make the experience as safe as possible. In addition to checking your airline's safety record (see below), be sure to check with them about specific requirements they may have.

Links to more information:

1. The Humane Society of the US has a web page that provides Tips for Safe Pet Air Travel
2. Since 2005, airlines are required to report all incidents of lost, injured, or killed pets. You can find these reports on the Aviation Consumer Protection section of the Department of Transportation website here. However, these reports are cumbersome and don't provide easy summaries. Also, because there is not really a good mechanism for tracking/enforcing consistent and accurate reporting, I believe these numbers significantly under-report the problem. But they are all we have in terms of hard data, for now.
   
3. There is a website that has compiled the data for you here (thank you to Jol A. Silversmith at ThirdAmendment.com!)

I've also provided a table of incidents from May 2005 through November 2006.

Carrier	Death	Injury	Loss
Alaska Airlines	2	3	1
American Airlines	9	0	0
ATA Airlines	0	0	2
Atlantic Southeast	1	0	0
Comair	0	1	0
Continental Airlines	16	11	0
Delta Airlines	3	0	3
Frontier Airlines	0	2	0
Hawaiian Airlines	1	3	1
Horizon Airlines	2	1	0
Midwest Airlines	2	1	0
Northwest Airlines	0	2	2
Pinnacle Airlines	0	2	0
Shuttle America	1	0	1
SkyWest Airlines	1	0	0
United Airlines	7	0	1
US Airways	1	1	1
Total	46	27	12

(Of the deaths, 38 involved dogs, 5 involved cats, 2 involved birds, and 1 involved a rat. Of the injuries, 20 involved dogs and 7 involved cats. Of the losses, 2 involved dogs, 9 involved cats, and 1 involved a bird. In addition, 1 of the lost cats was subsequently reported to have been recovered, while 3 of the injured dogs were reported to subsequently have died of their injuries.)

Goodbye to Gilbert

Gilbert the pug, who belonged to Loretta (the dogwalker), got lost on New Year's Eve and was later found dead on January 4th. A friend, Julie, has arranged a brief, informal gathering of friends and supportive dog owners at Upper Douglass Park for tomorrow (Sunday the 7th) at 2pm. This is meant as a remembrance of Gilbert, and as a show of support to a fellow dog-owner who has suffered a loss that all of us can relate to.